IPL 2022: Three retained players who could be captains this season
Each franchise will be looking to make significant changes ahead of the IPL 2022 including the captaincy. A captain's role in a team is as pivotal as the pilot's role in an aircraft. He is the one who drives the team through conditions thick and thin.
The history of the IPL has chronicled the tale of many promising captains. However, throughout the fourteen seasons, only Rohit Sharma and MS Dhoni have enjoyed unparalleled success. Rohit Sharma has won the IPL a record five times with Mumbai Indians, while Dhoni has four with Chennai Super Kings.
Becoming the best IPL captain is not as easy as it sounds. To fit the captaincy-success puzzle, one needs many different skills. These include leadership skills, management trust, intelligent decision-making, tactical expertise, sheer luck, and many other factors.
Considering the captain's responsibility and importance, selecting a skipper is the most crucial decision for the franchises. Three franchises are most likely to pull the trigger and name new captains for the IPL 2022.
#1 Glenn Maxwell (RCB)
#IPL2022Retention: Glenn Maxwell Is Most Likely 'Heir To Kohli' Says Former RCB Coach Daniel Vettori
#RCBNewCaptain @RCBTweets #Kohli
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Glenn Maxwell was the only overseas player on the RCB's retention list that contained Mohammed Siraj and Virat Kohli for IPL 2022. With Virat Kohli stepping down from the captaincy, the team management could ask the Australian all-rounder to lead their team henceforth.
Maxi is no stranger to captaincy. Valiantly, he led the Melbourne Stars to be the runners-up in the Big Bash League in the 2018-19 season. Maxwell also has IPL captaincy experience, leading the Kings XI Punjab (now Punjab Kings) back in 2017.
Therefore, IPL 2022 could see Maxwell succeeding Virat as RCB captain.
#2 Ravindra Jadeja (CSK)
Many believe that Ravindra Jadeja will lead CSK someday, but his appointment as captain could be as soon as the IPL 2022. Since MS Dhoni has nothing new to achieve as CSK captain, he could find a new challenge in grooming Jaddu.
The Chennai Super Kings may too have made a symbolic statement about their next season's captain by retaining Jadeja first for IPL 2022. Over eight years as an Indian international in CSK, the time has likely arrived for Jaddu to lead the Yellow Army.
#3 Mayank Agarwal (PBKS)
Mayank Agarwal might lead the PBKS team in IPL 2022. After the Punjab-based franchise heard KL Rahul's decision to leave them, they picked Mayank as their first choice retention for INR 12 crores.
The team management might have a heavy reason for giving Mayank an 1100% hike in his salary of INR 1 crore. It would make no sense for PBKS to provide Mayank with a significant raise like that unless they intend to make him captain.
The Karnataka-born cricketer also merits the captaincy as a player with experience of 100 IPL matches and 2000+ runs.